Tempo:
HISTORY OF THE SIKHS
234 1844.
CHAP. VIII
time, induced his guards to release him, and he was unwillingly allowed to assume his place in the court as the uncle of the child to whose sovereignty in the all nominally deferred.^ Raja Suchet Singh was believed to have been a secret party to the attempts of Kashmira Singh, and the release of Jawahir Singh was also probably effected with his cognizance. The Raja believed himself to be popular with the army, and especially with the cavalry portion of it, which, having an inferior organization, began to show some jealousy of the systematic proceedings of the regular infantry and artillery. He had retired to the hills with great reluctance; he continued intent upon supplanting his nephew; and suddenly, on the evening of the 26th of March 1844, he appeared at Lahore with a few followers; but he appealed in vain to the mass of the troops, partly because Hira Singh had been liberal in gifts and profuse in promises,, and partly because the shrewd deputies who formed the Panchayats of the regiments had a sense of their own importance, and were not to be won for purposes of mere faction, without diligent and judicious seeking. Hence, on the morning after the arrival of the sanguine and hasty Raja, a large force marched against him without demur; but the chief was brave he endeavoured to make a stand in a ruinous building, and he died fighting to the last, although his little band was almost destroyed by the fire of a numerous artillery before the assailants could reach the enclosure.Within two months after this rash undertaking, Atar Singh Sindhianwala, who had been residing at Thanesar, made a similar ill-judged attempt to gain over the army, and to expel Hira Singh. He crossed the Sutlej on the 2nd May, but instead of moving to a distance, so as to avoid premature collisions, and to enable him to appeal to the feelings of the Sikhs, he at once joined Bhai Bir Singh, whose religious repute attracted numbers of the agricultural population and took up a position almost opposite Ferozepore, and
abstract The attempt of Raja Suchet Singh,
March 1844.
:
"he insurrection of
Sardar Atar Singh and Bhai Bir Singh,
May 1844.
within forty miles of the capital. The disaffected 'Kashmira Singh joined the chief, but Hira Singh stood as a suppliant before the assembled Khalsa, and roused the feelings of the troops by reminding them that the
Sindhianwalas looked to the English for support. A large force promptly marched from Lahore, but it was wished to detach Bhai Bir Singh from the rebel, for 1
Lieut. -Col.
2Lieut.-Col.
Richmond Richmond
to to
Government, 27th March Government, 29th March
1844. 1844.
234 1844.
CHAP. VIII
time, induced his guards to release him, and he was unwillingly allowed to assume his place in the court as the uncle of the child to whose sovereignty in the all nominally deferred.^ Raja Suchet Singh was believed to have been a secret party to the attempts of Kashmira Singh, and the release of Jawahir Singh was also probably effected with his cognizance. The Raja believed himself to be popular with the army, and especially with the cavalry portion of it, which, having an inferior organization, began to show some jealousy of the systematic proceedings of the regular infantry and artillery. He had retired to the hills with great reluctance; he continued intent upon supplanting his nephew; and suddenly, on the evening of the 26th of March 1844, he appeared at Lahore with a few followers; but he appealed in vain to the mass of the troops, partly because Hira Singh had been liberal in gifts and profuse in promises,, and partly because the shrewd deputies who formed the Panchayats of the regiments had a sense of their own importance, and were not to be won for purposes of mere faction, without diligent and judicious seeking. Hence, on the morning after the arrival of the sanguine and hasty Raja, a large force marched against him without demur; but the chief was brave he endeavoured to make a stand in a ruinous building, and he died fighting to the last, although his little band was almost destroyed by the fire of a numerous artillery before the assailants could reach the enclosure.Within two months after this rash undertaking, Atar Singh Sindhianwala, who had been residing at Thanesar, made a similar ill-judged attempt to gain over the army, and to expel Hira Singh. He crossed the Sutlej on the 2nd May, but instead of moving to a distance, so as to avoid premature collisions, and to enable him to appeal to the feelings of the Sikhs, he at once joined Bhai Bir Singh, whose religious repute attracted numbers of the agricultural population and took up a position almost opposite Ferozepore, and
abstract The attempt of Raja Suchet Singh,
March 1844.
:
"he insurrection of
Sardar Atar Singh and Bhai Bir Singh,
May 1844.
within forty miles of the capital. The disaffected 'Kashmira Singh joined the chief, but Hira Singh stood as a suppliant before the assembled Khalsa, and roused the feelings of the troops by reminding them that the
Sindhianwalas looked to the English for support. A large force promptly marched from Lahore, but it was wished to detach Bhai Bir Singh from the rebel, for 1
Lieut. -Col.
2Lieut.-Col.
Richmond Richmond
to to
Government, 27th March Government, 29th March
1844. 1844.
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